Some say he is overrated and has had only one good year. Others think he is the key to the Canucks finally advancing past the first round. Letís hope that Thursdayís 6-2 loss to the Avalanche was the beginning of the end of Todd Bertuzziís mental slump.

Reports say that his back is sore, but after passing the puck away when given a wide open chance to score on Tuesday in Minnesota, and having 19,000 plus in Colorado booing him each time he stepped onto the ice, it is obvious to all observers that the Steve Moore incident is still bothering him mentally.

The new rules were supposed to be in Big Bertís favor and allow him to exploit poor defenseman with his size, speed and soft hands. With only 2 goals to show for it in 11 games, Bertuzzi needs to play simple hockey and shoot the puck when he gets the chance.

This Saturday is his chance to lose that monkey on his back. Scoring a goal in Colorado may not silence the crowd, but could give him that confidence boost he needs to get on track. Marc Crawford has given him plenty of ice time, and is double shifting him on a regular basis. It is time for Bertuzzi to shake this off and get back to playing his game, or the press box might not be far off.

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